Household Tales · Character

Unknown

A placeholder for unnamed narrators or generic focal characters.

minor

First appearance: the frog king or iron henry

Unknown shows up with force in Cat and Mouse in Partnership. The page is where that presence becomes real.

The cat deceives the mouse, pretending to be a godmother to eat their shared pot of fat, and ultimately eats the mouse.

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In Cat and Mouse in Partnership: The cat deceives the mouse, pretending to be a godmother to eat their shared pot of fat, and ultimately eats the mouse. Later, in Cat and Mouse in Partnership: The mouse trusts the cat,…

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Character Web

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Folkloric Character Archetypes
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Magical Transformation Figures

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

The emotional and psychological peak occurs when the sisters, driven by envy of the Queen’s beauty and their o…

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Unknown appears across 154 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Cat and Mouse in Partnership
The cat deceives the mouse, pretending to be a godmother to eat their shared pot of fat, and ultimately eats the mouse.
Cat and Mouse in Partnership
The mouse trusts the cat, keeps house, and is betrayed and eaten when the truth is revealed.
The Story of the Youth Who Went Forth to Learn What Fear Was
The bearded man/fiend who appears in the haunted castle and is defeated by the youth.
The Wonderful Musician
The wonderful musician who plays his fiddle to attract companions, but tricks and traps the animals that come.
The Wonderful Musician
First animal attracted by the music; tricked into putting his paws in a cleft oak tree and trapped.
The Wonderful Musician
Second animal attracted; tricked into having his paws tied to bent bushes and left hanging.
The Wonderful Musician
Third animal attracted; tricked into running around an aspen tree and caught by a string.
The Wonderful Musician
A poor woodcutter who hears the music, comes to listen, and protects the musician from the vengeful animals with his axe.
The Pack of Ragamuffins
The cock builds a nutshell carriage, harnesses a duck, and leads the group's mischief at the inn.
The Pack of Ragamuffins
The hen accompanies the cock, lays an egg used as payment, and participates in the escape.
The Pack of Ragamuffins
The duck is forced to pull the carriage and later escapes by swimming down a stream.
The Pack of Ragamuffins
The pin is a passenger that is later stuck into the host's towel, injuring him.
The Pack of Ragamuffins
The needle is a passenger that is later stuck into the host's chair cushion, causing further injury.
The Three Spinners
The three strange women who help spin the flax; their individual identities are not given.
The Straw, the Coal, and the Bean
The old woman who gathers beans and starts the fire, but is not a named character.
The Riddle
The witch stepmother who poisons the horse and later dies eating the raven.
The Mouse, the Bird, and the Sausage
The bird who fetches wood, becomes discontented, and insists on swapping chores, leading to the group's downfall.
The Mouse, the Bird, and the Sausage
The mouse who carries water and later attempts to cook like the sausage, dying in the pot.
The Mouse, the Bird, and the Sausage
The sausage who cooks by rolling in the broth, but is eaten by a dog when sent to fetch wood.
The Mouse, the Bird, and the Sausage
A bird who mocks the protagonist bird and prompts the role change.
The Mouse, the Bird, and the Sausage
The dog who seizes and eats the sausage, claiming forged letters as justification.
Little Redcap
The antagonist who deceives and devours both Little Redcap and her grandmother.
Little Redcap
Little Redcap's grandmother, who is ill and later rescued from the wolf's stomach.
Little Redcap
A huntsman who saves Little Redcap and her grandmother by cutting open the wolf.
Little Redcap
Little Redcap's mother who gives her instructions before her journey.
The Bremen Town-Musicians
The donkey, hound, cat, and cock are unnamed animals; they are the central characters of the story.
Clever Hans
Hans's mother, who gives him advice that he consistently fails to follow correctly.
Clever Elsie
Elsie's father, mother, the maid, and the boy, who all join in her lamentation over the imagined accident.
First Story
The two little naked men who secretly make the shoes each night.
Third Story
The mother whose child was taken by elves.
Third Story
The neighbor who advises the mother on how to break the changeling's spell.
Third Story
The changeling left by the elves, with a large head and staring eyes.
The Robber Bridegroom
The robber bridegroom, a seemingly rich suitor who is actually the leader of a gang of murderers and cannibals.
Fitcher's Bird
The wizard who kidnaps and murders young women, ultimately killed in the burning house.
The Six Swans
The wicked mother of the young king; she frames the queen for killing her children and is later burned at the stake.
The Knapsack, the Hat, and the Horn
The second brother who takes gold and returns home.
The Dog and the Sparrow
The dog is a sheepdog who suffers hunger under a bad master and is killed by a wagoner.
The Dog and the Sparrow
The sparrow is the dog's loyal friend who avenges his death through a series of destructive acts.
The Dog and the Sparrow
The wagoner is the driver who runs over the dog and is ultimately killed by his wife while trying to kill the sparrow.
The Dog and the Sparrow
The wagoner's wife is mentioned as she tries to kill the sparrow but accidentally kills her husband.
The Queen Bee
The little grey man who appears in the castle, opens the locks, and sets the three tasks for the brothers.
The Thief and His Master
The father who places his son with the master-thief and later helps him by selling the transformed animals.
The Thief and His Master
A little dwarf who advises Hans on how to recognize his son.
Jorinda and Joringel
The witch who dwells in the castle, transforms maidens into birds, and keeps them in cages.
The Three Sons of Fortune
The father who gives his sons the gifts before his death.
The Three Sons of Fortune
The king on the island who buys the cat and later orders the palace burned.
The Wolf and the Man
The fox acts as a guide, showing the wolf different types of men and warning him of their strength.
The Wolf and the Man
The wolf is arrogant and insists on attacking a man, only to be brutally beaten by the hunter.
The Wolf and the Man
The first man shown to the wolf, described as 'one that was' a man.
The Wolf and the Man
The second man shown, described as 'one that is going to be' a man.
The Wolf and the Man
The third man, a fully armed hunter who defeats the wolf with his gun and hanger.
The Pink
The queen, who is imprisoned and later dies after being freed.
Clever Grethel
The guest invited to supper, who is frightened away by Grethel's lies.
The Water-Nix
The water-nix who captures the children and forces them to work, but is ultimately outwitted.
The Death of the Little Hen
Finds a large nut kernel, tries to eat it alone, chokes and dies.
The Death of the Little Hen
Runs errands for water, organizes funeral, dies of grief.
The Fox and the Geese
The fox is the predator who intends to eat the geese, but is persuaded to allow them a final prayer.
The Fox and the Geese
The geese are the victims who beg for their lives and start a prolonged prayer to delay their fate.
The Poor Man and the Rich Man
Disguised as a weary traveler, tests the hospitality of both rich and poor, granting wishes accordingly.
The Goose-Girl
The old king who observes the goose-girl, uncovers the deception, and orchestrates the punishment of the false bride.
The King of the Golden Mountain
The black dwarf who extracts the promise from the merchant.
Old Hildebrand
The husband who is tricked into going on a pilgrimage, but later discovers the deception.
Old Hildebrand
The wife who feigns illness to spend the day with the parson.
Old Hildebrand
The egg-merchant who reveals the parson's trick and helps the peasant catch them.
The Willow-Wren and the Bear
Insults the young willow-wrens and is forced to apologize after losing the war.
The Willow-Wren and the Bear
Accompanies the bear and identifies the willow-wren as the 'King of birds'.
The Willow-Wren and the Bear
The bird king who leads the birds in war against the bear.
The Willow-Wren and the Bear
Appointed general of the four-footed animals; his tail signal is exploited by the hornet.
The Willow-Wren and the Bear
Acts as a spy for the willow-wren, overhearing the fox's battle plan.
The Willow-Wren and the Bear
Stings the fox's tail, causing him to lower it and triggering the animals' retreat.
Sweet Porridge
The aged woman in the forest who gives the girl the magical pot.
First Story
The mother who kills the snake, causing the child's decline.
Third Story
The snake that responds to the child's call.
The Shroud
A mother who worships her son and is inconsolable after his death; her tears disturb the child's rest.
The Shroud
A seven-year-old boy, handsome and lovable, who dies and returns as a ghost in his shroud to ask his mother to stop weeping.
The Jew Among Thorns
A little man who appears from a thicket, receives the servant's three farthings, and grants him three wishes.
The Jew Among Thorns
A Jew with a long goat's-beard who is forced to dance in thorns, gives up a purse of gold, and is later hanged for theft.
The Flail from Heaven
The peasant who trades his oxen, climbs to heaven, and brings back a flail.
The Blue Light
The protagonist, a faithful but discarded soldier who acquires a magical blue light and uses it to exact revenge and gain power.
The Blue Light
The ungrateful monarch who dismisses the soldier without pay and later tries to have him executed.
The Blue Light
A malevolent old woman who enslaves the soldier and tries to steal the blue light; she is ultimately hanged.
The Blue Light
A magical dwarf servant bound to the blue light, who obeys the soldier's commands and helps him achieve his goals.
The Wilful Child
The mother of the willful child, who must strike the child's arm with a rod to bring peace.
The Three Army-Surgeons
The three army-surgeons who perform the self-surgery and later suffer from the substituted organs.
The Seven Swabians
Second of the seven Swabians, who smells powder and matches during the hornet incident.
The Seven Swabians
Third of the seven, who suggests Veitli advance while he holds the lance.
The Seven Swabians
Fourth of the seven, who speculates the hare might be the Devil's stepbrother.
The Seven Swabians
Fifth of the seven, who declares the hare must be the Devil himself.
The Seven Swabians
Sixth of the seven, who chides Veitli for being too late for dragon-hunting.
The Seven Swabians
Last of the seven, who becomes brave from behind and urges the group to strike.
The Old Woman in the Wood
The old woman who is a wicked witch, keeper of the ring and the birdcage.
The Devil and His Grandmother
An aged woman living in a rock-house in the forest; she helps the soldier by hiding him and extracting the riddle's answer from the Devil.
The Lazy Spinner
The husband who is repeatedly tricked by his wife into abandoning his demands for her to spin and wind yarn.
The Lazy Spinner
The lazy and cunning wife who uses deceit to avoid work, including pretending to be a prophetic voice in the forest and substituting tow for yarn.
Fair Katrinelje and Pif-Paf-Poltrie
The suitor who asks each family member for permission to marry fair Katrinelje.
Fair Katrinelje and Pif-Paf-Poltrie
The bride-to-be who lists her dowry and agrees to marry if her family consents.
Fair Katrinelje and Pif-Paf-Poltrie
The father who gives conditional approval for the marriage.
Fair Katrinelje and Pif-Paf-Poltrie
The mother who gives conditional approval for the marriage.
Fair Katrinelje and Pif-Paf-Poltrie
The brother who gives conditional approval for the marriage.
The Six Servants
The aged Queen and sorceress who sets deadly tasks for suitors.
Knoist and His Three Sons
Knoist and his three sons are not in the canonical character list; 'unknown' is used as a placeholder.
The Lambkin and the Little Fish
The stepmother, a witch who bewitches the children out of anger.
Going A-Travelling
The fishermen who beat the youth for saying 'not much'.
Going A-Travelling
The hangman or official at the gallows who beats the youth for saying 'get it full'.
Going A-Travelling
The knacker cutting up a horse who beats the youth for saying 'may God have pity on the poor soul'.
Going A-Travelling
The driver of the cart full of people who pushes the youth into a hole and whips him.
The Donkey
The old king who welcomes the donkey, gives him his daughter in marriage, and later burns the donkey skin to reveal the youth.
The Old Man Made Young Again
Performs the miracle of making the old man young again using the smith's forge.
The Old Man Made Young Again
A poor, infirm old man who is made young again by the Lord.
The Old Man Made Young Again
An old, half-blind, crooked woman who asks to be made young again but suffers a painful failed attempt.
The Lord’s Animals and the Devil’s
Creates all animals but forgets the goat; summons wolves to destroy the goats and tricks the Devil out of his damages.
The Beam
Performs illusions and seeks revenge after being exposed.
The Old Beggar-Woman
The old beggar-woman, who is not named and whose rags catch fire.
The Stolen Farthings
The ghostly child who returns to seek the hidden farthings.
The Sparrow and His Four Children
The father sparrow who warns his four children about worldly dangers.
The Sparrow and His Four Children
Stayed in gardens and learned about merchants' traps.
The Sparrow and His Four Children
Stayed at court and learned about stable-boys' snares.
The Sparrow and His Four Children
Stayed on highways and learned about mountaineers' tricks.
The Sparrow and His Four Children
Stayed in a church, learned to trust God, and is commended by his father.
A Riddling Tale
The three women transformed into flowers, including the one who returns home at night.
A Riddling Tale
The husband who identifies his wife by the absence of dew.
The Willow-Wren
The cunning, nameless bird that wins both flying and descending contests through trickery, becoming the self-proclaimed king.
The Sole
The jealous fish who insults the herring and is punished with a twisted mouth.
The Sole
The winner of the race, called 'naked' by the sole.
The Sole
Gives the signal for the race to start.
The Bittern and the Hoopoe
The old cowherd who tells the story to the man.
The Bittern and the Hoopoe
The man who asks the cowherd about his feeding grounds.
The Moon
The three young fellows who steal the moon from the neighboring kingdom.
The Duration of Life
Creates the world and assigns lifespans to creatures.
The Duration of Life
Begs for a longer life and receives the animals' discarded years.
Death’s Messengers
The giant who battles and temporarily defeats Death.
Eve's Various Children
Father of the children; opens the door respectfully to the Lord.
The Nix of the Millpond
The nix of the millpond, a water spirit who makes a bargain with the miller and later captures the huntsman.
The Nail
The merchant, driven by haste, ignores two warnings about his horse's shoe, leading to the horse's injury and his own delayed, burdensome journey home.
The True Sweethearts
The old woman who magically helps the girl complete her tasks and builds the castle.
The Peasant and the Devil
A farsighted, crafty peasant who outsmarts the Devil by sowing turnips and wheat to keep the valuable parts of the harvest for himself.
The Crumbs on the Table
The master who tempts the little dogs to disobey their mistress.
The Crumbs on the Table
The owner of the house who punishes the dogs for eating the crumbs.
The Crumbs on the Table
The puppies who are persuaded to eat the crumbs and are beaten for it.
The Sea-Hare
The raven that hides the youth in an egg, but the princess discovers him from the eleventh window.
The Sea-Hare
The fish that swallows the youth, but the princess sees him from the twelfth window.
The Sea-Hare
The fox that transforms the youth into a sea-hare and helps him succeed on the third attempt.
The Drummer
The witch who sets the drummer three impossible tasks; she is thwarted by the maiden's magic.
The Ear of Corn
The woman who tore up ears of corn to clean her child's frock.
The Ear of Corn
The Lord (God) who walked the earth and judged the woman's actions.
The Ear of Corn
The bystanders who pleaded for mercy on behalf of the birds.
Old Rinkrank
The princess's betrothed who attempts to cross the mountain with her and later marries her.
The Three Green Twigs
A pious hermit who served God faithfully for years but sinned by condemning a sinner; he undergoes penance and eventually dies forgiven.
The Three Green Twigs
An angel who accompanied the hermit on his daily water-carrying and brought him food, but withdrew after the hermit's sin.
The Three Green Twigs
A compassionate woman who shelters the hermit despite fear of her three robber sons.
The Three Green Twigs
The old woman's wicked sons who are moved by the hermit's story and repent of their sins.
The Aged Mother
The protagonist, a desolate old woman who mourns her losses and blames God before receiving a vision of her sons' fates.
The Aged Mother
A deceased relative who appears in the church vision to explain the fate of the old woman's sons.
The Aged Mother
The old woman's two children, shown in the vision as they would have been—one hanged, one broken on the wheel—had they lived.

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